BRIGHT Zine Issue Four

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ISSUE FOUR

B R I G HT Z I N E .C O

@brightzine

@brightzines

@brightzines

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ISSUE FOUR

IN THIS ISSUE - CHILL TIME: DEREK SARNO - PAGE 6 - SPOT THE BANANA - PAGE 10 - THE PROBLEM WITH PERFECTION - PAGE 12 - INTRO: BADASS VEGAN WOMEN - PAGE 16 - INTERVIEW WITH A VEGAN QUEEN: MOKO SELLARS - PAGE 17 - ZERO WASTE SPECIAL - ZERO WASTE: WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? - PAGE 18 -

- HOW MUCH WE WASTE IN A MONTH - PAGE 24 - HETU: VEGAN ZERO WASTE STORE - PAGE 26 - INSTA HEROES - PAGE 31 - VEGAN QUEEN: FRIENDS - PAGE 32 - WHY WE SHOULD ALL SUPPORT VEGAN BUSINESS - PAGE 35 - CHILL TIME: TALKING MASCULINITY WITH THE VEGAN BROS - PAGE 36 - COOL SHIT - PAGE 40 -

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Laura Callan Editor / Writer Laura is a writer and vegan queen from London.

Laura loves bears.

™lauralollipop .

Tamsin Callan Creative Collaborator Tamsin is an events executive from London.

Tamsin loves donkeys.

™tamsinrose .

Roxane Dewar Illustrator Roxane is an artist and illustrator from London.

Roxane loves cats.

™roxane_dewar .

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- LET TER FROM THE EDITOR Hello and welcome to Bright Zine Issue Four.

There’s a lot going on in Issue Four, we just had a lot to talk about.

And big topics too. We’re looking at masculinity within veganism, the problem with pursuing perfection, and we’ve got a big special on the zero waste movement. A huge thanks to zero waste vegan queens Charlie-May and Sareta for their guide to going zero waste.

We’ve seen a lot of changes over the last few months in the vegan world. Everywhere I go I see vegan signs in windows, vegan and dairy-free options on display boards. Not only are we being catered for, our food choices are being actively promoted. We just had to talk to Derek Sarno, the man responsible (in part) for the new Wicked Kitchen vegan range in Tesco and the thousands of #wickedkitchen photos filling social your feeds all January, don’t miss his interview.

We’re bound to be welcoming in new vegans in record numbers after Veganuary surpassed 160k sign ups. Let’s welcome and support them all. I truly believe that 2018 is the year of veganism, and we’re only getting started.

Laura Callan, Bright Zine ™lauralollipop ™brightzine

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CHILL TIME: DEREK SARNO, WICKED HEALTHY Wicked Healthy founders Derek and Chad Sarno are renowned for their healthful and tasty recipes and common sense approach to plant based eating.

Now they’ve partnered with Tesco to create Wicked Kitchen, a range of grab and go sandwiches and wraps, pizzas and ready meals.

™dereksarno ™wickedhealthy What is the ethos behind Wicked Healthy?

Wicked Healthy was started by Chad and I collaborating on the work we both were already doing in the food space.

We discovered the missing link between doctors’ orders and what people will actually do, and it’s culinary-based.

Wicked Healthy is not about strict dieting, it is all about striking a balance, getting in the kitchen, and making real food. Diets fail. If you’re striving to eat healthier and take control of what goes in your mouth then eating more plant-based or whatever you want to call it (vegan, reduced meat consumption, whatever), it’s the first ste[.

It’s not about starvation or choking down food that tastes like shit. We live by a theory that is 20% Wicked, 80% Healthy rule so no matter what “diet” you identify with if you focus on enjoying 80% whole food plant based (healthier clean foods)

and 20% wicked in any scenario then that’s an optimal balance. To us vegans that means we allow ourselves to eat junk foods and not feel guilty cause we still know we’re on an overall balanced path. If you’re still eating animals then we consider Wicked Healthy the gateway drug to health and wellness and the best way to eat when it all comes down to delicious food!

How long was this top-secret project with Tesco in the works?

The project has been under wraps for the larger part of two years in total.

Over a year of it while I was still living in Portland, Oregon in the US, and it’s now nine months since I moved to the UK. We’ve been going hardcore, head down, mission-driven to bring this to life. It’s still non-stop in development and I’m still learning to find my way in this amazing

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Derek and Chad Sarno

country. It’s been an unbelievable experience and I absolutely adore the #vgang and community and group of chefs here. We’re looking forward to helping raise even more awareness.

There is no downside to eating and having more plant based options available.

What sets the Wicked Kitchen range apart from other vegan offerings out there?

We set out to make the range aimed towards meat eaters with the ambition to help folks that want to reduce and remove animals from their plates by making it stupid easy for them - offering straight up great, high quality, friggin tasty food at an affordable price. That’s the only way we’re going to win. We’re not calling it “vegan’ on the front of the pack because we don’t need any more barriers for people to hide behind. We know vegans

will love it because the food offerings by other retailers are rubbish in my opinion.

Offering chopped up button mushrooms as “mushroom mince” and cutting a slab of cauliflower and calling it a steak is insulting. Not sure what people are thinking in the industry but I’m not cool with being segregated, having no choice of foods to eat and having to settle just because I choose NOT to eat animals.

This isn’t a trend and I think people are waking up now, finally. This is a culture shift, it’s here to stay and everyone wins.

In your speech at the launch party of Wicked Kitchen you mentioned not doing what people to tell you to do, how important has that been in your life and your career and journey?

I’m very grateful for where I am now and how I’ve gotten here, it’s been a very long journey for me and my brother. We

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Wicked Kitchen’s ‘Smashing Pumpkin Falafel Chilli Sandwich

have mad respect for Tesco leadership for putting their faith in us. If I were to have listened to all the people along the way that told me I was crazy , that no one wants this food, and all the “Oh I can’t give up meat”, we wouldn’t be doing this. It’s always more comfortable to surround ourselves with people that think like us, for the most part we all want the same thing - to be happy. No one wants to suffer. It’s when we step out of our comfort zone, that tests us and real growth comes from it. Moving here was definitely not in my comfort zone but I did it anyways.

I’m a firm believer in leading with compassion, taking risks and following my heart. I like the sound of compassionate action, it’s doing things to benefit others, aspiring to do things that are meaningful to us, and by doing so believing we’ll always win. With that mindset everyone wins.

You’re releasing a new cookbook “Free. From. Animals.” in May, what can you tell us about it?

We are so excited about the Wicked Healthy Cookbook! 100% Free From Animals, we’ve spent the last three years working on this and a lifetime leading up to it. It’s targeted to change the whole perception of what ‘vegan’ is, showing new innovative cooking techniques never done before. Introducing what can be done with mushrooms as the ultimate meat. It’s not often new cooking methods and techniques are introduced these days and our cookbook will boast quite a few. We want to influence an industry, the food machine, from within.

What are your aims and goals in 2018?

2018 is gonna be absolutely crazy!

Working and partnering with Veganuary has been amazing and to be able to offer our support has been an honour.

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We just launched Wicked Kitchen on 8th January, with 20 items for the first menu and have been working non-stop with plans to double that by end of the year Not to mention scale up on other products available in Tesco stores.

The Wicked Healthy Cookbook comes out in May in both the US and UK. Our other project, Good Catch, a plant based sustainable seafood company Chad and I lead the RnD for with Chad heading it as VP of culinary - is due to launch in the summer of 2018. We also just finished writing the Whole Foods Diet Cookbook that comes out in the Fall.

We intend to set the standard for other retailers to follow worldwide. Plant based is the future.

You’ve got a wide network of vegan friends, what vegans should we be paying attention to and following?

What I appreciate the most are the friends that are encouraging, the positive people that are helpful to those interested in going vegan or even just eating less meat. There is enough of a challenge we face with centuries of habitual and cultural patterns to overcome let alone the senseless bickering I see on socials between vegans themselves. There is no room for “superior vegans”, in fact there is no such thing. No one is more vegan than another, we’re all on a path and doing the best we can. If we are to be real and make an impact for the animals and not our own ego, we need to be much more supportive and not bitch about trivial things and try to police something we have no business saying shit about.

Lead by example, lead with compassion, leave your ego at the door and promote each other, we all win then. Follow those people, they inspire us the most.

™wickedhealthy

wickedhealthy.com

“Free. From. Animals.” is out in May 2018, presale is on now.

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SPOT THE BANANA

#SPOTTHEBANANA

Photo:™ _charlie_may_

THE PROBLEM WITH PERFECTION Written by Laura Callan ™lauralollipop Illustrations by Roxane Dewar ™roxane_dewar It’s very easy to get caught up with seeking better, seeking more, seeking perfection. We’re surrounded by highlight-reels of people’s lives, showing us only the ‘very best’, while we often miss out on seeing the average, the boring and the worst. But why are we trying to be perfect?

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The problem with perfection is on the rise, and it’s affecting our younger generations. Recent studies show that millennials are 33% more likely to feel that they need to be perfect, and points the finger at social media and the increasingly competitive world of work as the main stressors.

This pressure to get the best job, make the most money, be the most attractive, mindful, fun-loving and ‘perfect’ version of oneself has led many young people to present unrealistic portrayals of themselves and their lives on social media, and a pressure to keep it up.

One problem with seeking perfection, is that it is seen as a positive thing to be doing. What’s wrong with working hard? With striving for better? What’s bad about being perfect, right? Doesn’t everyone want to be perfect?

The problem is that the pursuit of perfection fills your life with stress, neuroticism and disappointment, and is ultimately, an unattainable goal.

Let’s put perfection into a vegan perspective. Think to yourself for a moment, what does the perfect vegan person or vegan lifestyle look like to you? For some it may be a person who eats a 100% vegan diet. For others it may be someone who eats 100% raw foods. For another it may be a full-time animal rights activist. It looks different to everyone. One size does not fit all.

If you try and uphold yourself as a perfect vegan, you are setting yourself up to fail. We are all human, we all make mistakes. We are not supposed to be perfect.

Ever accidentally bought something to eat that was vegan but now contains dairy? Ever got in an Uber where the seats were most likely leather and the tyres made with animal products?

Even with the best intentions none of us can be 100% perfect 100% of the time.

We are all doing our best.

ARE YOU BEING HELPFUL? And what’s the most productive way that we can try and be our best while protecting our mental health and that of those around us? Cut yourself (and other people) a break. If you forget your Keep Cup at home but really want to have your afternoon coffee? Have your afternoon coffee, maybe drink it in or try to reuse the takeaway cup, but don’t give yourself a hard time. You are doing your best. Be kind to yourself.

And remember, just as you can’t be perfect 100% of the time, neither can anyone else. Everyone has so-called ‘flaws’, quirks, makes mistakes and has their own insecurities.

Now, I feel the need to address some other people in this article, and that’s the internet trolls, the keyboard vigilantes that like to come along and rain on other people’s parades. And I’m not even talking about the eyeroll-inducing meateating commenters, I’m talking to the vegans.

Social media is an amazing tool for the vegan community, connecting likeminded people that may have never otherwise met, helping us to share news, events and advice and spreading awareness to others. But all too often the ‘spreading awareness’ side of things can spill over into the realms of unwelcome finger-pointing and negativity.

So I’m just going to put this out there: going out of your way to comment and tell someone else off for using a straw, for eating at a chain restaurant that isn’t

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YOUR S ’ E R WHE EN UP? B C P E KE N’T Y’S IS R R E AND J U ID YO D !

N V E GA HE HAT T T W KN O UR IN YO E U L T G HT N O G I M S !

SHOE !?!?!? ?

N A G BE VE

Don’t be this person.

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100% vegan, or for buying vegan Ben and Jerry’s though they’re owned by Unilever, does not help.

Pointing out what you think someone else is doing wrong, does not make you better. It does not make you a better vegan, a better eco warrior, or a better person than them.

Sure, sometimes these comments, when pitched in a friendly, unobtrusive way, coming from a good place could be informative to the person receiving them.

But usually, the comments you make serve to highlight something you think the person is doing wrong, all while virtue signalling your own apparently higher vegan status.

Upholding this idea of yourself as a paragon of vegan perfection does everyone a disservice. What happens when your coffee order comes back with dairy in it and it’s a few sips before you realise? What happens when the company you buy your vegan cheese from gets bought by a big corporation?

It’s important to remember this: the person on the receiving end did not ask you for your opinion. They are simply sharing something from their lives, and didn’t ask for your critical feedback (unless, of course, they did in fact state that they were asking for feedback.)

So if you’re prone to leaving a witty comment putting down another person’s life choices, maybe have a think about your actual intentions first. Why are you feeling the need to comment this?

Is your comment contributing anything positive to this person’s life? Does this person already probably know about whatever you’re going to tell them? And importantly, do they want your input?

DEALING WITH TROLLS If you’ve ever found yourself on the receiving end of unsolicited vegan oneupmanship, it can be pretty upsetting.

It’s important to remember that the people leaving these comments are most likely in this trap of trying to be perfect due to insecurities, or this newlydubbed millennial perfection problem.

But, it’s also not up to you to make allowances for them. If you don’t want to deal with them, delete the comment and forget about it. If you’ve got the time and emotional space to reply and tell them how you feel, that’s great too. But don’t feel that you have to give them any of your time or energy.

A pursuit of perfection can often be a disguise for a person’s insecurity. If so many of us are dealing with mounting pressure to appear ‘perfect’ to others, we do not need the added stresses and upset of people leaving judgmental comments on what we choose to share.

People who become obsessed with perfection strive toward it from a place of insecurity and a sense of inadequacy.

Yes, we should be compassionate to anyone dealing with negative emotions and feelings like these - which we now see affects a third of our generation - but don’t ever feel like it’s your responsibility to deal with social media vigilantes.

Tl:dr, it’s not you, it’s them.

We’re all doing our best, let’s try not to get caught up in striving for impossible standards, or holding others to them.

See our interview with the Vegan Bros on page 36 for their advice on dealing with negativity from trolls.

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- WHAT WE DO Our mission is to celebrate, promote and uplift vegan women* for the work they are doing in and out of the plant-based arena.

We want to shine light on their achievements, empower them as Badass Vegan Women and work to inspire women worldwide.

We plan to celebrate and uncover the achievements of Badass Vegan Women across the globe. We will work to inspire people to take action to improve their own lives and the lives of others.

We will do this by giving Badass Vegan Women a platform to speak about their achievements and what they are doing, and by creating an inclusive space for vegans, non-vegans, and people of all genders and gender expressions for discussion and sharing.

We will be holding a number of events this year, follow our Instagram, visit our website and sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date. *Our mission is to empower those who identify as female. This is an inclusive space for both cis and trans women, cis and trans men and people of all gender expressions.

x B R I G HT Every fortnight we will feature a Badass Vegan Woman in our ‘Interview With A Vegan Queen’ series, as well as videos, photo pieces, events and more.

Head to brightzine.co to see more and join in the conversation.

badassveganwomen badassveganwomen.com

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BRI G HT ZINE & PRESENT

INTERVIEW WITH A ® VEGAN QUEEN : MOKO SELLARS You run the vegan-friendly-only events space 10 Cable Street, what do you do and what led you to start this business?

I organise events surrounding veganism and sustainable living. I’m still a new vegan so when I come across things I want to learn about I try and organise an event around it. I also help people host their own supper clubs.

When I discover something great I want to share it, so I try to bring them in to collaborate on an event or I try to promote them so others can find out about them too.

It all started when I became vegan 15 months ago. I became really passionate about it and wanted to create somewhere cool fellow vegans can go to get the best vegan foods and learn about sustainable living. I had no idea what I was doing but I created a website, contacted some people and we hosted our first event last May! What else have you done in the past?

I studied furniture and product design at uni, decided I preferred to work with smaller things so got a job at a product design company where we designed and manufactured fun giftware. I designed identities for each product, did their packaging design and learned how to do product photography. I designed something called the Drumstick pencil which ended up being a big hit! A few years later I quit my job, took a few months off to learn some new skills and decided to go it alone. I started my own company called ‘Moko’ (imaginative name right?) and from there I designed and batch-produced my own stationery, jewellery and whatever else

I came up with. I also do graphic design and branding jobs on the side.

How important do you feel community is in veganism?

Super important. I wouldn’t be anywhere without the support of the community. The thing with the vegan community is that we all support each other and try to help others get bigger and better because it’s for all of our benefit. I try and give back so when I see cool products or brands I will promote them and if anyone ever wants to ask my advice I’ll be happy to give it.

™tencablestreet tencablestreet.com Head to brightzine.co for our full interview with Moko and fortnightly additions to the ‘Interview with a Vegan Queen’ series.

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ZERO WASTE: WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? What is ‘zero waste’? Can anyone really waste nothing? Aspiring zero waste queens Charlie-May Bingham and Sareta Puri tell us all we need to know.

™saretapuri &™_charlie_may_ ™plantbasedzer0waste

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The actual notion of being zero waste can be overwhelming. How can we waste absolutely nothing? We see this journey as gradual, taking steps to create less waste with an overall aim to becoming as zero waste as possible.

To us it is a journey that is focussed on becoming a more conscious consumer and one that we only began in July 2017 during Plastic Free July, an initiative that was started by Earth Carers Waste Education Team. This initiative woke us up to the reality of just how difficult it is � to avoid plastics but also how necessary it is that we all make these changes.

Zero waste means not only reducing plastics but also to limit food waste, be a more conscious consumer with items like clothing or just becoming altogether more minimalist.

We started producing plastic on a mass scale only six decades ago and since then we’re estimated to have produced over 8.3 billion metric tonnes, 6.3 tonnes of which has become plastic waste and a mere 9% of that is actually recycled (National Geographic). It takes over 400 years to degrade, therefore most of it still exists in some form. Yes, these numbers seem incomprehensible.

Zero Waste / Vegan Queens Sareta and Charlie-May

There is even a prediction that in the next 40 or so years there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (tonne for tonne). To make things worse, at least for the UK, the beginning of 2018 introduced a ban by China to stop all imported plastic waste, meaning our situation is worsening.

According to a report by WRAP in 2016 the food sector produces 10 million tonnes of food waste and food and drink accounts for 20% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. A shocking 8.4 million people in the UK are struggling to afford to eat (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Voices of the Hungry, 2016).

These startling facts should be enough to convince anyone to fix up and take steps to being less wasteful in life in order to look after our planet, in turn looking after ourselves.

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OUR TOP TIPS FOR BECOMING A ZERO WASTER Avoid plastic wrapping and always use your own bags.

The first rule of zero waste life is to carry a tote bag with you. Everywhere. There’s been times when we’ve forgotten to carry a tote bag and ended up carrying tonnes of loose fruit & veggies down the street trying not to drop the odd banana.

Try to buy in bulk.

We’re lucky enough in London to have stores dedicated to zero waste.

Bulk Market in Dalston, As Nature Intended in Shoreditch, Planet Organic in Muswell Hill has an ‘unpackaged’ section with a selection of loose spices, Wholefoods Market on High St Kensington and brand new to Clapham is Hetu, a completely unpackaged store with loose food items and zero waste products such as reusable packaging, life-long steel razors and loads more, it’s like a zero wasters playground!

Fresh vegetables at Hetu, Clapham

Sareta: I love to do my shopping at my local fruit and veg market in Lewisham. You can buy in bulk and get cheaper and much fresher produce.

Just make you let them know before they start bagging everything up! For soft products like berries take your own containers to transfer them to.

As everything is in bulk I make juices or soups a lot or freeze bananas for making smoothies or frozen yoghurt.

If I can’t make it to the market then I’ll scour the supermarket and only buy unpackaged goods - take your own reusable bags for items you want to buy in bulk otherwise the cashier will tut at you like has happened to me many a time!

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Tip: save all of your used jars to take along with you to fill up!

- FOOD Always use food leftovers We rarely waste ANY food. This can be simply understanding that ‘use by’ dates don’t really mean much - use your eyes, smell and taste to judge if something is going off or to ensure that you use all the food you have. Use up leftovers for meals the following day, even if you need to add to them and try to plan ahead where possible. Freeze whatever you can’t use or create bulk soups and juices with leftover veg.

Eating out Key items always in our backpacks are reusable tubs and cutlery. You can get beautiful cutlery wraps online that include straws, chopsticks and napkins or simply snag a biodegradable spoon and fork from an ethical stall and keep and reuse them. If you’re short for money simply use an old plastic container you have or take your own cutlery from home, you already own it so why buy more?!

Sites like ‘Going Zero Waste’ and ‘Zero Waste Home’ are great for advice and tips.

- COSMETICS Make your own. Between us we’ve experimented with making shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and cleaning products. Not only does this mean less crap in what you’re using that isn’t tested on animals but you’re not creating heaps of unnecessary plastic waste too and it’s actually cheaper!

We’re not going to lie to you, going zero waste with makeup is a little tricky however it is not impossible and will just take a little more research and a bit more work. You can start by purchasing reusable items not disposable, these can be reusable cotton pads, q tips, face wipes, safety razors (this is a life saver!).

Charlie-May: I actually stopped wearing make up altogether when I began my journey, overwhelmed by the amount of plastic products. I now wear the occasional lipstick that I’ve owned for years but I’m still struggling to find a good unpackaged version or good recipe. Also, don’t worry if your first attempt didn’t go so well, I’ve made countless attempts at making toothpaste, some horrendous, some that have made me physically heave but it’s all part of the journey and you can share tips with other zero wasters!

Charlie-May: Lush is a great place to get unpackaged products like soaps, plus they smell amazing and are all cruelty free (just remember that they’re not all vegan). They also have a handy recycling scheme on their little black pots where each used pot you return is taken back to the factory, melted down and turned into a new little black pot.

Yay Lush!

In London it’s quite easy to find independent stores with homemade soaps, Read/The/Label in Camden is one my favourites!

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Ladies, let’s talk about tampons!

Most tampons are full of chemicals that can be harmful to your body and are encased in plastic applicators. Ready to have your menstrual cycle changed forever? Say hello to the moon cup, luna cup, diva cup, ruby cup, whatever cup you get it will change the way you approach your periods forever and it will work out cheaper in the long run. A good menstrual cup can last up to five years if you take care of it and clean it properly. Also, double bonus, if you buy the Ruby Cup they will donate the exact same menstrual product to a young girl in need of sanitary items.

Clothes shopping “But I didn’t think going zero waste meant not buying clothes?” Fast Fashion is buying clothes new and from most likely non-ethical sources where the people producing the clothing are getting paid less than 10% of the price of your new top. To help combat this it’s best to shop second hand, donate products to charity shops and even better, attend a clothes swap.

Charlie-May: I attended a recent clothes swap organised by the lovely ethical warriors ‘Stories Behind Things’ ( storiesbehindthings). I paid £5 for a ™ ticket, took a bag of unwanted clothes and spent the day swapping clothes with other like-minded people. I felt like i’d been shopping and came away with several new items for my wardrobe, including a new coat in almost new condition. Remember, one person’s trash...

Get involved with zero waste organisations and groups.

From food waste charity FareShare to campaigning group Feedback to local meet ups and events, the best way to learn more is from people already doing it. Then in turn share your knowledge with others keen to become zero wasters.

Sareta: I volunteer with FareShare who redistribute food waste to tackle food poverty. Last year they saved 13552 tonnes of food from waste and created 28.6 million meals for vulnerable people. From seeing the sheer volume of excess food that comes in from supermarkets, big companies and the like - most shockingly often before it’s even hit the shelves! - to going out on deliveries to the numerous charities and community groups that benefit from the service I am always inspired by the work that they do. Sadly not all the food donated can get out the doors quick enough so they need more volunteers to do this and I would urge anyone passionate about food poverty or waste to get involved.

Be inspired by the zero waste heroes out there.

When you hear stories of Bea Johnston containing all her waste from one year into one jar it can seem daunting. This takes time. Changing overnight is near impossible. A great person to follow is Immy Lucas ™ ( sustainably_vegan) who is trying to be completely zero waste in 2018 including only spending money on necessities.

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- MOVING FORWARD - ZERO WASTE GOALS We leave you with our 2018 zero waste resolutions.

Charlie-May: Well I just bought a narrowboat with the intentions of living aboard and becoming as minimalist and zero waste as possible. I will have to cut back on non-necessities and (call me a nerd) I cannot wait to create a zero waste wall with all of my jars filled with loose pasta, lentils, nuts & cereals (not to mention a spice rack!).

™_charlie_may_

Sareta: I’ve been shampoo free for over a year now by washing my hair with a rye flour paste and rinsing with diluted apple cider vinegar. This year I want to embrace making even more toiletries and products - I’ve got a great recipe for mascara waiting to be tested - and in turn show people that they don’t need harmful chemicals and plastics in their lives.

™saretapuri

I wanted to know the real ‘footprint’ I have when it comes to packaging, plastics and so-called ‘recyclable’ materials. For exactly one month, I took note of every single piece of packaging and all single use materials and products I bought or was responsible for. This is by no means a scientific experiment, but I wanted to create a clear visual record of the exact amount of waste I - one person - am responsible for in just one month.

N O N - R E C YC L A B L E

i.e. non-recyclable plastic films on vegetables, and clear salad packaging, snack packets, etc.

T HI N GS YOU THINK ARE RECYCL ABLE

i.e. metal-plastic combined packets, disposable coffee cups with plastic-paper layers.

R E C YC L A B L E DID YOU KNOW

that many disposable coffee cups are not actually recyclable? In fact, recent UK reports showed that only about 1 in 400 coffee cups are recycled.

PLEASE NOTE

I do try to be responsible and use tote bags, portable cutlery and a reusable coffee cup, so I have factored in coffee cups and carrier bags that I *would* have used, had I not been prepared.

HETU: THE VEGAN ZERO WASTE STORE There are steps we can all take to get ourselves closer to zero waste, and this vegan zero waste one stop shop certainly aims to help make things easier. We caught up with Hetu founder Laura Boyes to find out more about the store, living zero waste and how we can all do our bit.

What can you tell us about Hetu?

Hetu is a vegan zero waste store that opened in London, near Clapham Junction station, on 3rd December 2017.

Our aim is to help people live a more zero waste lifestyle by providing package free food, sustainable household and personal items as well as other zero waste essentials. We also want to help grow the zero waste community in London, and the UK, by holding events and workshops in the near future.

Our ethos is always Planet and Purpose

over profit. Hetu actually ‘purpose’ in ancient Sanskrit.

means

Can you tell us about your own zero waste journey?

My own journey started around two years ago whilst I was living in Australia.

There wasn’t one single thing or event that led me to look into zero waste, it was a series of things. Reading a news story about the Rana Plaza incident where over 1000 women lost their lives in a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, another story about the number of coffee cups sent to landfill each year and then a Source Bulk Food store opened ten minutes from my home – after that, I was hooked!

I started looking at the amount of plastic we recycled in our home each week.

We let it pile up for a few weeks and I couldn’t believe the amount of plastic we

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used. I worked on finding alternatives for those items and then started consciously de-cluttering our home. It was pretty liberating.

There were definitely times in the beginning where I found it hard, but the benefits absolutely outweigh the extra planning time or having to go without.

What have been the more difficult steps or problems in your journey, and how did you overcome them?

Living zero waste in Australia was much easier. We had lots of bulk food stores as well as great access to package free fruit and veg. The nice weather and healthy lifestyle also helped! Then when we moved back to London, in the middle of winter, it was a bit of a shock.

It meant a 45 minute bus journey each way to find bulk unpackaged dry goods and some trial and error with finding a fully package free veg box delivery service.

“ SPEAKING AS A

FORMER PROLIFIC CONSUMER OF ALL THINGS NEW, FASHIONABLE, FAST, QUICK, EASY - IF I CAN, YOU CAN.

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Can anyone work towards living zero waste?

Absolutely. Speaking as a former prolific consumer of all things new, fashionable, fast, quick, easy and also as a vegan who could never have imagined living without cheese – if I can, you can.

Some of the drawbacks that people expect with living zero waste are accessibility and affordability. Who has the luxury to plan out a zero waste life instead of just buying things in or made from plastic?

If you live near a bulk shop or zero waste shop like Hetu, of course it is easier. But reducing your dependency on plastic is just one part of zero waste. De-cluttering your home, consuming less, only buying used etc. are all options open to anyone.

When you spend less time shopping or surfing the net for the latest fashion accessory you find you have more time.

What are your top tips for anyone interested in working towards zero waste?

Take it one step at a time. If you do too much in one go you will feel overwhelmed. Set yourself realistic goals, record the wins and don’t beat yourself up when things don’t always go to plan. Follow positive and realistic zero waste bloggers and YouTubers such as Sustainably Vegan for inspiration.

Surround yourself with good vibes.

What can we expect to find at Hetu?

We are aiming to be a one stop shop for the conscious shopper. At present we stock rice, pasta, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, cereals, flour, herbs, spices, dried fruit, raw cacao powder and nibs, coconut sugar – all organic, all unpackaged!

We also have a small deli section that stocks vegan mylk, cheese and yoghurt,

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all in glass jars that are returnable. And on the weekend we sell wonky surplus fruit and veg, totally plastic free.

As well as food, we provide household cleaning products in bulk as well as shampoo, soap, deodorant in tins, toothpaste in glass jars, bamboo tooth brushes and toilet roll.

You can also buy reusable coffee cups, glass and stainless steel water bottles, shopping bags, glass jars and lunchboxes – and much more!

In the near future, we will be adding unpackaged tofu, bulk nutritional yeast, olives, hummus and lots of other vegan zero waste delights.

We are constantly reviewing our product range and always on the lookout for great vegan uk made zero waste products to add to our range.

Visit Hetu Tuesday to Sunday 201 St. Johns Hill, London SW11 1TH ™hetu_uk hetu.co.uk

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- AS F E AT U R E D O N D R AG ONS D EN -

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WHY WE SHOULD ALL Veganism is blowing up right now.

Vegan products are readily available, marked vegan, on the shelves and ready to buy. We are now being actively catered to by big companies, which shows a real change in the mainstream as our lifestyle and choices are listened to and taken seriously.

But while we can spend our money on vegan options from big companies, let’s try not to forget the people who have been working to bring us good vegan products for years, and that’s independent vegan businesses.

By all means, buy the vegan options in mainstream eateries, show them these products are in demand and worth selling.

But if you have are able to eat at an independent vegan place for lunch, your money and your business would contribute a lot more than you might think.

When you support an independent business, you are helping the realisation of someone’s dream. Someone had that idea, started that business and worked very hard to get to where they are. Every time you shop, eat, or hire an independent, you are paying respect to that journey, that hustle and that independent ethos.

When you buy independent your money goes to the people running the business, not to faceless boards of directors.

When you buy from an independent vegan business you will likely meet the people

that actually own that business or their core team, and you will get their care and quality. It’s their business so they care about the details, and they care about your experience of buying from or working with them.

And on the subject of money, if you’re supporting a vegan-owned business, wages and profits will likely go back into the vegan space, and not into animal agriculture industries. The money you spend is going back into your vegan community.

Products made by independent business are a reflection of the people running the businesses. Vegan businesses have grown out of the owners’ desires to create good vegan food or products in an area that means something to them. When you buy from an independent vegan business you are funding ideas, ventures and innovations outside of the mainstream.

When you buy from an independent vegan company you are respecting and supporting the trailblazers, the hard working passionate people championing veganism in a non-vegan world.

Who are your favourite independent vegan businesses? Let us know and join the conversation on brightzine.co

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The Vegan Bros are lots of things. They’re YouTubers, bloggers, they run fitness courses and sell vegan merchandise. But something they’re often criticised for is for actually being ‘bros’, and perpetuating dude veganism.

Brothers Matt and Phil Letten are successful in reaching their audience and demographic, and with a book coming out later this year, their brand is growing. All labels aside, we wanted to see what’s really underneath it all.

As the ‘Vegan Bros’ you could be accused of perpetuating ‘bro veganism’, what would you say to that?

Phil: It’s fine, ultimately people can think whatever they want.

Matt: We know that there are some people that don’t like us. And that’s okay. We like them, but that’s cool. If you have differing opinions that’s totally cool. That’s what society and living in this world is all about.

Phil: We love and support people from all walks of life.

One problem that we constantly see crop up, is this strange relationship with veganism and masculinity, what are your thoughts?

Phil: The way masculinity is portrayed in our society is: “You are masculine, if you are afraid of others not perceiving you as masculine.” Does that make sense?

Matt: The traditional view of masculinity is this really aggressive and macho…

Phil: …and what is that? It’s someone who is afraid of other people perceiving that they are not masculine. The way it is in society is this: If you’re a man and you’re insecure, then you are masculine.

How is that masculine? Masculine should be being who you are. It is showing your fucking emotions.

Matt: You have to redefine it for yourself.

There is no one single way to be masculine.

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Matt: To say that “this is masculine” is open to interpretation. In our opinion, everyone is being hurt by it. And men are being hurt by it a lot, because they are not in touch with themselves, and they are not in touch with their emotions, they are putting up a front and they are not able to feel anything.

Phil: That’s not happiness. I’m not judging someone for not being happy, and there’s nothing wrong with not being happy, but just putting up a front with people because you want them to think

you are masculine and you’re a man, that’s not happiness. And in my opinion that’s not masculine.

Matt: Being insecure would traditionally be seen as weakness. So being traditionally masculine, means being insecure and being weak. And so, the reality is, with change. In the past there are these traditional views of society takes, and when you buy into that masculine role, you take those views.

And that can be ingrained in you since you are a few months old by your dad,

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by your brother, by your family. We are getting more in touch with who we really are, more authentic more in touch with our emotions I guess. Men want and need to be able to cry and to feel and to smile and just let their fucking guard down. That’s just being a person.

Phil: And also that’s being vegan. If you want to be masculine. It’s inevitable, the only way to do it is to be vegan. It’s a fact.

Do you think this idea of ‘masculinity’ is also heteronormative and exclusive of anyone that isn’t a cis male?

Phil:There is no one way to be masculine. And masculinity is not dictated by your society, your family, or your social circle. It’s about being true to yourself and doing what you feel is right in your heart.Another person can tell you, “you’re being masculine wrong.”

But you don’t need to let it affect you.

What can each of us - wherever we fall on the gender spectrum - do to dismantle this old-fashioned idea of masculinity?

Phil: We all have different life experiences. Depending on our race, religion, sexuality, what country we grew up in, if we’ve spent most our time in the country or city, past trauma, the political views of our parents, etc. we all have drastically different life experiences.

And those experiences shape who we become and the way we view the world.

Sometimes past experiences cause people to hold an old-fashioned idea of masculinity. People who hold an oldfashioned idea of masculinity are not bad people. They are just people who hold an old-fashioned idea of masculinity.

And people can change.

But judgement and hate doesn’t change people. Love is what changes people.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

There are two things we do - one, we offer friendship to everyone we meet, and two, we lead by example.

What is your approach to nonvegans?

Phil: This is where you can go deep.

Matt: One rule we keep to a pretty strong degree, is we try to wait when we meet a new person, we intentionally wait as long as possible and try to build rapport with them before they ever find out that we’re fucking vegan. Because you know what they are thinking going into that.

Phil: People feel judged. And it’s not because we are actually judging them, it’s because they are judging themselves.

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They meet a vegan and they judge themselves, so understanding that that’s what you’re going into is important. They are going to feel personally attacked, I am not personally attacking them, that if they feel that way, I am going to go out of my way to make sure they don’t feel that way. I want them to go vegan.

Matt: I want their relationship with me to be a happy thing.

Phil: to us, we feel like every single person in the world is vegan on the inside. They might be eating meat but on the inside they’re vegan, they don’t want to support animal abuse.

Matt: That is without question, that is the hearts and the core of us. We’re not faking Matt, that is something that We have come to comma In understanding the world and thinking about how things work, in the fact is it’s not about changing people, we believe it’s about people getting back in touch with themselves and their emotions and who they actually really are as a person, and when they do that it is inevitable that they don’t want to hurt animals, it’s just the way that it is.

So everybody is already vegan at heart.

How do you deal with trolls?

Phil: For me, one is just noticing that you’re affected by trolls and that it’s negatively affecting you, just noticing that is going to help. And also the more secure you are in who you are, your beliefs and all that stuff, the less affected you are going to be.

I’m almost to a point where someone could say anything they want to me, and I’m not going to hate them for that.

Understand why they are saying it, and they are saying it because they fucking hate something about themselves.

That’s why they are saying it to me.

Matt: Really any not nice things that come out of people are not saying anything about you, it is saying that everything about what’s going on in there. And so when you understand that, you don’t have to be be upset about it.

You can feel bad for them.

Like, “Wow dude, you’re calling me names right now, I feel really bad that you feel like you need to do that, what’s going on dude? I want to help you.”

The other side is that trolls are a reality, and in many ways in society, when you’re trying to have influence, inevitably - if you’re going to have people feeling love and being receptive to what you’re saying, you’re going to have people that feel the opposite way. Love and hate are similar emotions, the energy and the amount of energy is very similar, the intensity, of it. They’re very close. The passion’s there, they’re thinking about you a lot, it’s just that they’re conflicted inside which is why they’re having that reaction.

Having haters or trolls is in many ways is part of success, part of being effective.

What’s ahead for the Vegan Bros in 2018?

Phil: 2018 is a transition year for us.

It’s the year we lay it all on the line. Our book launches in the US on Penguin Random House / Tarcher Perigee on June 5th. Our editor, Marian Lizzi, says about the book, “this is not just another vegan book. It’s reinventing a category.”

Then, our new company launches in August or September. Our aim with both of these projects is to change the way veganism is viewed. We’re making the tent bigger, and bringing everyone in.

Everyone’s going vegan.

™veganbros

veganbros.com

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COOL SHIT

- BOTTLE -

- CUTLERY -

- STRAWS -

This canteen looks like a

This picture was my most

If you haven’t got it yet,

cocktail shaker and I am

popular post on instagram

plastic is bad. Plastic

here for it. It’s by Corkcicle,

last year. Yeah, my life is

outlives us all and then

comes in loads of different

wild. We bought these wheat

some, taking hundreds of

colours including pastels,

straw cutlery kits on Amazon

years to break down. Once

and there are three sizes. It

to stop us from using plastic

you’ve seen videos of ocean

keeps cold drinks cold for up

cutlery when we’re on the

creatures and sea turtles

to 25 hours and you can use

go. They’re biodegradable

with plastic straw stuck in

it for hot drinks too. Best of

and cute all at the same

their bodies, you’ll never

all, it’s not plastic.

time, although they did arrive

want to use a plastic straw

with loads of unnecessary

again. These metal ones

packaging - well done

and easy to clean, safe and

Amazon. I customised mine

you can keep one in your

with a vegan queen sticker

bag - or with your cutlery set!

™corkcicle

so now I can eat veggie Pret Mac and Greens like royalty.

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™zerowasteshop

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COOL SHIT CURATOR TAMSIN CALLAN BRINGS YOU THE BEST VEGAN AND ZERO WASTE FINDS THIS ISSUE. YOU’RE WELCOME.

- CANDLE -

- POT -

-FOOD-

Earth + Order repurpose

Artist Peter A. Smith makes

It’s not zero waste but I had

wine bottles and use them

beautiful pots and bowls

to include it because think I

to make soy candles, tea

with offcuts of wood from

love doughnuts more than

light holders and more.

local sawmills. The aim in

All candles are refillable

his ‘Deadwood’ project is to

and come in upcycled

return the pieces of wood

packaging, with an all-

to tree forms. His pieces

round environmental ethos.

manipulate the properties

They’re an independent

of wood to create a sense

company run by a vegan

of rings, knots and trunks

queen in London, and ship

otherwise not seen.

worldwide.

Peter takes waste and turns

™earthandorder

it into something beautiful and for forever.

™ptrasmith

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I love anything else. Dough Society aka doughnut heaven just opened up in Hackney. BRB while I eat my weight in doughnuts.

™doughsocietyldn

Truman Markets presents

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MONTHLY VEGAN PARTIES ON BRICK LANE FEAT. THE HOTTEST VEGAN FOOD & DRINKS IN LONDON...

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“Beast” by Roxane Dewar roxanedewar.co.uk

™roxane_dewar .

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SEE YOU NEXT TIME JOIN US IN ISSUE FIVE FOR:

A BRAND NEW BRIGHT ZINE

UNTIL THEN, KEEP IN TOUCH B R I G HT Z I N E .C O

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Treasure me. Keep me on your coffee table. And when you’re done with me, give me to a friend, leave me in a cafe or in a library, or recycle me.

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B R I G HT Z I N E ISSUE FOUR E D IT I O N O N E ©2018 B R I G HT Z I N E .C O